Big In Japan
by Majin Gojira
Summary: Faith is sent to recruit a recently called Slayer in Karakura, Japan. She won’t be alone in Japan, but even with Ami Mizuno and Hongo Takeshi she may be in for the fight of her life. Massive Crossover, mostly with Japanese Characters. BuffyBleach focus
1. World View

**Big in Japan**

_Summation: _Faith is sent to recruit a recently called Slayer in Karakura, Japan. She won't be alone in Japan, but even with Ami Mizuno and Hongo Takeshi; she may be in for the fight of her life.

_Author's Notation: _This takes place in a massive crossover AU. Buffy canon remains, largely, intact—though spillover of big events will be touched upon. Other things, however, have been altered to ease the flow of suspension of disbelief and keeping things 'low powered' for the most part. Lots of things have been changed, but do not worry; most of it will be explained or referenced as the story continues. This takes place in a world similar to the expanded Wold Newton Universe, a place where heroics have been going on since before the fall of Hyperborea and Atlantis. Some comic characters exist, but are low powered, and the world is based in a more pulp fiction than you might think. So don't complain about any underpowering you see. It is both calculated and intentional.

**Chapter 1**

**World View**

Faith didn't understand why she was on a plane headed to Japan. Former wanted-criminal being sent to a country where people are guilty and proven innocent, and can be held for 30 days without being given a reason why? Not a good combination.

Truth be told, she knew why. Though there were 500 called slayers already in the fold, but most of them were unqualified in the field. Worse, with so many new recruits, finding and recruiting new ones was becoming more difficult to allocate time and resources to.

In one sense, she'd been given a shit job. In another, there was a reason to send a full slayer—with backup, no less—to Japan.

Japan was not doing well both mundanely and supernaturally. Though it had its own guardians to handle things, the rate of supernatural activity in the Tokyo area had increased. Dozens upon dozens of hungry ghosts called Gaki or Hollows began to turn up. Nothing that couldn't be handled, but it was still noticeable.

The last few years surrounding the Millennium were still having ripple effects across the world, and Tokyo was one of the epicenters of destruction. Recovery efforts were still going on, but many services remained down.

Which was part of the reason she had backup; Faith reviewed the files again to familiarize herself with her allies and her target.

First was Ami Mizuno: a computer scientist with Sony and one of the Celestial Miko, priestesses who drew their power from the nearest major celestial bodies. Ami drew her power from the planet Mercury.

The second was Hongo Takeshi, known to the world better as "Kamen Rider". A genius (Faith felt dumber just by associating with these two eggheads on paper) student and motorcycle enthusiast, Hongo was captured by project Ragnorok – a group of surviving Nazi's from the Second World War, and turned into a cyborg. He rebelled against his programming and spent the next 30 years hunting them down across the world.

Faith bet the Nazi's were kicking themselves pretty hard over that mistake.

Then there was her target: Tatsuki Arisawa. Already an accomplished martial artist before she was called, Faith did not look forward to a physical confrontation with her, but every now and then, new Slayers liked to play 'test the elders'. Couldn't blame her, she felt that way when she first met Buffy. Still, not something she was waiting enthusiastically for.

She got tired of it the second time it happened.

Tatsuki was also, thankfully, already using her formidable skill to protect people—preventing others from bullying certain students. Faith mused that there would be little trouble getting her into the 'defending the world from the forces of darkness' spiel she'd be peddling.

Faith looked around her, hoping to find her contacts. She'd been waiting outside for them for some time. Nothing around her could give her information. Though Willow had given her a charm to speak Japanese and understand it when it was spoken, it did not translate the written language. And, as she found out on the plane there, it would often have literal translations that Faith's ears didn't fully understand.

And she forgot to read the cultural etiquette manual.

As such, the trip was going splendidly. Being abandoned in a foreign country where she couldn't read crap just fit in so well with the rest of her life.

That's when a motorcycle and a car almost comically compact slowed to a stop in front of her. The motorcycle rider wore black and green outfit designed for long trips on a bike. The woman in the compact car was small (even smaller than Buffy), with short dark hair. Faith guessed that she was only a few years younger than the woman.

"Excuse me, are you Faith Lehane?" The rider said.

"You Hongo?" Faith retorted.

The man in black took off his helmet. Faith raised her eyebrows. He wasn't that unattractive, and looked much younger than someone born in the 50s should look—like barely out of college. And for someone who had been fighting Nazi's for 30 years, his face was remarkably unscarred. Faith found that slightly disappointing.

She briefly wondered if the rumored level of kinkiness in Japanese sexual life could make up for their reported penis size.

"Oracle sent us to guide you through Japan." The woman, she assumed Ami, stated.

Oracle. Sometimes she was still amazed at what was real in her world; Oracle was one of those things. It was Willow who found her. Or maybe it was Oracle who found Willow. Both appeared to claim the connection.

Oracle is a legend among hackers, as the greatest of their number. She, as Willow confirmed, connected most of the extra-normal humanitarian efforts. By extra-normal, it didn't just extend to the world of magic and demons, but to insane sciences, aliens and, what Faith found hardest to believe, costumed vigilantes. Though things were never quite what they were portrayed as on TV and in comics she used to read, but Oracle could still call upon the likes of the Shadow or even Superman if a situation called for it.

Willow decided such an alliance would be extremely useful and made the connections.

Ami was one of Oracle's many contacts.

Faith stood up, slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Though I'm surprised that you've managed to pick up the language, if not the etiquette." Ami continued.

"Yeah, well, don't be, I cheat." Faith raised her hand, revealing a small ring, "This thing translates spoken languages to English. Something Willow cooked up."

Being allied with one of the 4 sorcerers in the world who could rival the Sorcerer Supreme had its perks.

"It only does spoken languages?" Hongo asked.

"Yeah. Willow couldn't really fit enough information into a small item to handle the three written forms of the language."

"Another reason to have us along," Ami stated.

"Yeah, but where's my crap going to ride?" Faith asked as she lifted her small suitcase up.

"That's why we have the car." Ami stated, rather lost.

Faith snorted. "Lady, I don't think that thing could fit me, let alone my bag."

She smiled at Ami's flinch.

But the car was indeed extremely small. It was little more than 6ft in total length, with only two seats to it.

She didn't even want to consider how small the engine was.

"It generally doesn't' serve much purpose to own a large vehicle in a city like this." Ami stated.

"But what about all that _Tokyo Drift_ stuff? I was expectin—"

"Drifting just balds tires and is a practice of the extremely bored." Hongo cut faith off, "But I do have a bias towards motorcycles stunts."

Hongo let loose and impish half-smile, which Faith returned.

"Alright. Shotgun in the wind-up car it is."

For Faith, it felt as though many hours had passed by since she entered the tiny car. But the accursed clock in the center mocked her, telling her that not even forty minutes had passed yet. She watched the landscape flutter by from the passenger's window. Of the landmarks she passed (or thought she passed, she figured the giant red and white tower—even though it was apparently being rebuilt—had to be a landmark). What she really noticed was the areas of destruction.

"So, is Tokyo really attacked every other month by a giant monster?" Faith asked.

"You really have no sense of tact at all, do you?" Ami said.

"Hey, I'm just askin', no need to get the claws out. This translator ring only does literal translations, after all."

"And I know enough English to know the difference." Ami retorted.

"Well there goes that smokescreen." Faith said. "Look, it's not an insulting thing, it's just—I'm not one with much formality."

Ami waited for an aching moment before she responded. "Japan isn't attacked by giant monsters every other month. We're just recovering from the post millennium fallout like New York is."

"Though I gotta say, you're handling it better than NC. They made most of Gotham a No Man's Land until 2003."

"Thank you, though to be fair, the background Radiation in New York was far higher than it was in Tokyo. Though we had clouds of sulfuric acid mist when Hedorah arrived. It dissipated almost as fast as it killed."

The sound of twisting leather reached Faith's ears, drawing her attention to the steering wheel Ami clutched tightly.

"Must not have been pretty."

"No, it wasn't."

"Like 'Shoggoth' bad?"

Ami chanced a glance at Faith; the shock paled her face and left her mouth slightly open.

"Look, I've never actually seen one, but I know someone who has." Faith amended before a sickening silence filled the vehicle.

"How are they doing?" Ami eventually asked.

"Better. She's no longer screaming every night." Faith added.

"I'm sorry."

"Be sorry for her. The only thing that got to me was seeing a reminder of how very mortal Slayers are, which is why we need to find this girl." Faith folded her arms and watched the ruins pass her by. The rest of the trip was marked by silence, allowing Faith's mind to wonder about how Tatsuki had been handling her newfound abilities.

There were few places to stay in Karakura town that weren't designed for businessmen. Despite this, Faith still found herself wanting to patrol. Unfortunately, there were few cemeteries for a standard patrol. So she settled for wandering the streets, looking for trouble.

It also helped to get the lay of the land, always a good idea.

As she walked, she could not help but feel that she was being watched from the rooftops. She wondered if Japanese vampires jumped around on rooftops or had other strange powers.

_Why not_, she thought, before kicking up a loose stone and throwing it at where she thought the invisible stalker lay.

She frowned as the rock sails through the air and lands.

If the tracker was invisible, he must have dodged the rock.

That, unfortunately, was the most exciting part of her night. The entire walk was punctuated that with the feeling that there was something around her, something predatory and hidden from plain sight.

Faith hadn't had the pleasure of fighting an invisible assassin yet, but she had the feeling that one was around.

When she retired for the evening, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow, but her mind had wandered.

She assumed at first that she was dreaming, but the imagery was unlike anything she had ever seen.

_The world was barren and arid. Towers of black basalt punctuated through a field of salt. The sky pulsed and swirled white and black. No animal life to be seen. _

_There was life though. Black ogres with white faces scurried about and a mass of darkness that lurched about. _

_There was also a man, or a thing that took the form of a man. He was dressed in black and white ceremonial garb, or as near as Faith figured, some Japanese kimono-thing. _

_He was talking to something, something that overshadowed him greatly, something that made him nervous. The quiet chirping of insects echoed through the hell they stood in. _

_"So you have come to barter your place?" The unseen thing stated firmly. _

_"I have." The man answered. _

_"I find it quite disrespectful for you to visit Annihilus and General Zod first." _

Faith recognized those names only peripherally, her mind tried to cling to them as best she could.

_"I deeply apologize. Though their offer of peace between them is different than the offer I present to you." _

_"Aizen, you little girl, do not presume I wish to join your movement. I care not for the soul society or the Death Gods." _

_"As a Hollow yourself, I thought you would be interested in becoming an Arrancar." _

_"And taking human form? You truly are a child. I would never take a detestable human form. The only human souls in my construction are those I have consumed. None of the souls of my original formation as a Gillain are from my true race." _

_Aizen stepped back at this. _

_"Please, Aizen, after dealing with Zod and Annihlus, I thought you might be more accepting of an inhuman hollow." _

_"I am--" _

_"Don't lie to me, idiot Death God" The unseen thing barked, "I am a Vasto Lorde or over sixty five billion willing souls, none of which are human." _

_Aizen took another step back. _

_"Yes, willing. We are all guided by one thing: revenge on the one who slew the souls of my construct—the repeated genocide of my race on this planet. There is nothing you could offer me. However, I will not move against you. Your quest will lead to the destruction of humanity, something I look forward to with great pleasure. But may your plans cross mine; I will crush you like the scum you are." _

_"May I ask, so I can stay appropriately out of your way, what those plans entail?" _

_"My plans have been in action for twenty years. The only piece I require now is the blood of a Slayer. And it is quite fortunate that two of them are now over a weak point between Earth and this Void." _

Faith felt her mind being assaulted at once—_"I see you, brat. And either you or the other's blood will suffice my needs!"_

Faith woke up with a scream.


	2. Portents and other Problems

**Portents and Other Problems**

Later that morning, Faith found herself with a slightly gurgling stomach. Apparently, breakfast was not quite sitting well with her. She chalked it up to the odd combination of toast, egg and fish. Mostly, she blamed the fish. Her breakfast stomach wasn't used to it.

Ami apologized greatly for it, repeatedly, but despite Faith's reassurances, her stomach was still off.

Either that or it was the jet lag catching up with her in a very unpleasant form.

She told the others about her dream, and the names: Annihilus and Zod. Ami relayed the information to Oracle, who came back with some rather disturbing information.

"You were looking into the Phantom Zone," Her electronically altered voice buzzed, "also called: the Negative Zone, Hueco Mundo, The Void, The Howling or simply Hell. It actually consists of the places between dimensions—a traveling point to the entire universe of alternate dimensions out there."

"How alternate?" Hongo asked.

"Variable," Oracle answered, "There's what we've called the Mirror world where notions of good and evil are reversed and people are more prone to wear goatees. There's Oz, a land of magic and mirth. There's even a world made up of nothing but shrimp."

Faith's stomach gurgled at the mention of shellfish.

"You're kidding." Hongo sniffed slightly in disbelief.

"I've personally seen weirder things thanks to Puck." Oracle replied. "I'll forward the information to the Watchers, Faith. Usually dreams, even Slayer dreams are not that linear."

"Any ideas on what this Aizen guy was talking to?" Faith asked.

"Not yet. But give me and the Watchers some time. Oracle Out."

The computer the Oracle's infamous green image as Faith stomach turned in a not again.

The trio made their way to the High School their quarry lay in.

Staking out a Japanese High School was not something Faith had ever done before. Sadly, the skirts were nowhere near as short as she was lead to believe—in fact, they were hyper-modest in comparison to US uniforms. Xander would be extremely disappointed if he learned, so she endeavored to tell him as soon as she got back.

They had decided to confront her as she left school, before heading to her afternoon martial arts classes (which, Faith though, would save them time training her).

As she scanned the crowd for Tatsuki, she couldn't help but think that the Japanese students all blended together.

There were, however, anomalies. One Japanese student had blond hair—natural blond hair. He was also rather tall—but nothing on the giant, she assumed, Mexican student. He was definitely a good six feet tall, possibly taller. Then there was the girl with long orange hair—

Right next to Tatsuki.

"Bingo." Faith smirked, "Got her."

"You sure?" Ami asked.

Faith pointed out the girl's location, to which Hongo pulled out a reference photo and nodded.

"That pushes the timetable forward. Do you want to confront her now or wait until—?"

Hongo could not finish his thought a scream tore through the air—the scream of something falling to earth at high speed.

"Over there!" Ami shouted, pointing to a meteor careening towards the school.

"Hit the dirt!" Faith screamed and ducked—the others following.

The explosion of the meteor impacting with the school rushed over Faith's prone form. She felt the debris knock against her back for a moment.

Afterwards she dared raise her head. The glass all around her was either cracked or broken. The meteor managed to land in the middle of a playing field (soccer, Faith assumed), leaving a 10ft crater—and the meteor.

Ami was the first to speak up. "That's not right."

"Generally, a meteor hitting a school isn't a good thing, so I'm with you there." Faith remarked as she picked herself up.

"No, she's right. Normally meteors are destroyed completely on impact. That's a space seed." Hongo corrected.

"What?"

"There's a monster in that meteor." Hongo simplified.

As if on cue, a green mist emanated from the meteor, engulfing the school rapidly. Faith could hear people coughing and collapsing within seconds of the gas's release.

Faith began to run towards it as Hongo shouted "No! The gas!"

But it was too late; a strange green mist engulfed the school. Faith's extremities felt numb almost immediately as she was immersed in unnatural cold.

When the gas cleared, she was left standing in front of the meteor with Tatsuki, the two red heads, and the large guy and two other students.

Standing in front of them was a seven foot tall black creature unlike anything she had ever seen before. Its outline resembled that of a dinosaur, but its back and long tail were covered with foot-long spines, mirrored by one on the back of its head and tip of its nose. Its mouth was filled with long teeth.

Its legs and arms appeared to be sewn arm, its left hand ending in a cruel war pick, and the other in a spiked mace. The center of its stomach held an odd pentagon formation within it.

The creature screeched its hate at the humans, turning its head back and forth between Faith and Tatsuki.

Faith realized it was after a Slayer—but was unprepared for two being there.

"What the hell is that thing?" The blond shouted.

Before Faith could even begin to formulate an answer, the creature struck. The pick shone with light before it pointed it's pick at the blond-and a beam of light shot out of it—striking him in the chest—and knocking him back.

"Ichigo!" the red-headed girl shouted.

Faith didn't wait any longer; she drew a knife from her belt and slashed at the creature's chest—only to see the blade snap against its hide.

She froze for a moment before ducking its mace hand and kicking away—but not far enough to avoid its massive spiked tail. None of the students were. Faith saw them fall before her own vision included only the dirt.

When she blinked clear, she saw the large one now sporting a black and red arm, throwing a blue ball of flames at the beast—only to see it refract off its chest.

The beast responded by releasing a blue gas the center of its stomach pentagram—but a triangular orange shield appeared in front of him—from the red headed girl.

Faith realized this must be this school's 'scoobies'. Sometimes, Faith had trouble dealing with how certain things really were international, but forced it to the back of her mind. The spiky monster took priority.

The student with glasses threw three small wooden pegs at the creature and began a series of hand gestures—only to see them burned in a blast of flames from the beast's mouth.

Faith rose to attack again only to be halted by a mighty shout:

"RIDER KICK!"

Faith had seen pictures of Hongo's transformed, armored form known as Kamen (or "Masked") Rider. But the helmet—the insectine, grasshopper themed helmet—was still simply odd.

But the power behind the kick was enough to knock the beast on its back. Before it could rise again, a second shout resonated in the yard:

"MERCURY FROZEN STORM!"

A blue stream of water struck the downed beast, and encased it in ice.

Hongo and Ami, both in full battle garb, landed nearby.

Something piqued Faith's senses were called to a new presence—one that she remembered.

At first she didn't see it, but then it faded in to view—the orange haired kid, Ichigo was up, and dressed in black with a large sword—more like a meat cleaver—standing there.

"…Will someone explain why a Miko and Kamen Rider are doing at school?" He huffed.

"You lead the scoobies here?" Faith asked.

Ichigo stared at her blankly.

"Um, what she's trying to say," Ami began, "is that due to a mystical upheaval in California, the young woman over there," She pointed to Tatsuki, "has received a significant boost of mystical energy that has manifested itself largely in physical enhancement."

The kid with the glasses nodded, Tatsuki looked at her body with a worried expression. Faith figured she must be having one hell of an internal monologue at that moment.

Ichigo still had a blank look on his face.

"Uh, Ok" he said.

"Yeah, and I'm here to get her in contact with the five hundred plus others we've already managed to find." Faith completed, "Plus, get her used to what her abilities can do."

"Um, if you don't mind me asking," the red-headed girl asked, "but, what are you?"

"Technical term, vampire slayer." Faith supplied.

"And is that thing a vampire?" the blond asked.

"That is a demon, I think." Faith answered.

Ami had drawn a blue visor over her eyes, analyzing the beast.

"It's not a demon—it's an assemblage." Ami stated.

"One I've seen before—but much larger." Hongo stated grimly.

Faith cringed—those things got bigger?

"Assemblage?" The glasses kid asked.

"It's called Tyrant." Hongo kicked the ice encasement in disgust.

"Question: why haven't we smashed its frozen body yet?" Faith asked—just before the thing broke free, sending ice everywhere.

"You guys ready for round two?" Faith asked, the others nodded and took fighting stances, but before they could charge, something grabbed Faith's leg and threw her, pretty hard too.

She recovered and watched as a tentacle with two branched off the end rose for the dirt—with glowing spots right before the split.

From the earth rose a charcoal black horror with odd, baseball sized spines around its shoulders and a curved horn on its head. The dinosaur-like creature's jagged teeth were proudly displayed as it let loose a deep gurgling noise from its throat.

"Black King!?" Hongo exclaimed.

Glad to know the thing had a name, she guessed.

From the sky, a third creature descended, a strange reptilian-bird-starfish creature—the pentagon in Tyrant's chest mirrored on its. It chirped and howled, clacking its single-clawed hands against its armored hips.

"Bemstar?" Ami gulped.

From the nearby power lines, a bolt of electricity shot down near the other monsters, condensing into an eel-like white creature with black crescents, a similarly crescent mouth and two spinning antennae. It screeched and swung its long tail about.

"Eleking too?" Ami squeaked out.

The creatures stood before them, roaring their hatred at the humans.

"Yeah, one of the things about being a Slayer, is that sometimes weird stuff like this happens." Faith stepped back.

"Often?" Tatsuki breathed.

"Usually, not, though, not this bad." Faith explained.

Each monster bellowed before they bent forward slightly: Tyrant unleashed a jet of flames, Black King breathed a red beam of light, yellow bolts shot from Bemstar's horned head, and wedges of light curved towards them from Eleking's mouth.

Faith lost sight of the others in the ensuing explosions. And found herself at the feet of Black King.

Faith punched the creature, which stood and took it. A kick was similarly absorbed. The monster didn't even flinch.

Black King shoved faith to the ground with little effort—then kicked her into the side of the school. Faith felt the structure crack underneath her as well as her ribs.

She coughed slightly, but kept her wits about her. She needed to get to the motorcycle—and her weapons bag—if she had any hope of surviving.

As she began to run, she felt the heat of another explosion lap at her back, and hoped the others were faring better.


End file.
